Our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by Hurricane Harvey and recent flooding. As a Boca Raton, Florida-based company, we at New Water Capital know something about hurricanes and about what a difference it makes when neighbors, businesses and volunteers from all over the country chip in to help out. That’s why we are especially proud of our portfolio company KL OUTDOOR / GSC TECHNOLOGIES, which is supporting rescue and relief efforts.
As Hurricane Harvey dumped more than 51 inches of rain on the people of Houston and surrounding communities, the folks at KL Outdoor / GSC Technologies got a call from WALMART’s disaster relief team. Two thousand kayaks were needed immediately. Our KLO/GSC team jumped into action, sending 30 truck-loads of SUN DOLPHIN KAYAKS to be used for flood rescue efforts in Texas and Louisiana.
KLO/GSC also is donating a truck-load of jon boats—approximately 50 boats—to Academy Sports + Outdoors, a Houston-based chain of sporting goods stores, to help with flood rescue efforts, said CEO Chuck Smith. Jon boats are small flat-bottomed fishing boats that are ideal for rescue efforts, capable of carrying multiple people and relief items, such as water and clothing. KLO/GSC’s FIVE PEAKS brand portable toilets also are in use by FEMA relief operations.
New Water Capital announced the merger of paddle sports companies KL Outdoor and GSC Technologies in April 2017, creating the largest kayak manufacturing company in the world.
Based in Muskegon, Michigan, the combined company manufactures kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, canoes, paddle boats, hunting blinds, sleds, storage products, outdoor furniture and portable restrooms under the Sun Dolphin, Future Beach, Evoke, Extent, Equinox, Patriot, Heritage, Viper and Third Coast brands (all related to the company’s watersports segment), Terrain (outdoor hunting products) and Five Peaks (portable restroom products) brands. For information about KL Outdoor/GSC Technologies, visit http://kloutdoor.com/.
